


The Wolf and his Peaches

by YandereDad



Category: Far Cry 5
Genre: M/M, Misunderstandings, Obsessive Behavior, Pining, Possessive Behavior, Softer Jacob
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-11
Updated: 2019-02-11
Packaged: 2019-10-26 06:31:56
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,440
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17740670
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/YandereDad/pseuds/YandereDad
Summary: Deputy Staci Pratt had managed to catch his attention from the moment he arrived in Hope County, long before they first met, or he became his prisoner.Months of hopeless pining without success due to the demands of his work and their almost Shakespearean love-story of opposing sides finally ends with the attempted arrest, and a most surprising gift - a chance at love, however onesided it may be.





	The Wolf and his Peaches

**Author's Note:**

  * For [9shadowcat9](https://archiveofourown.org/users/9shadowcat9/gifts).



> A commission for the ever-lovely 9shadowcat9
> 
> Please consider checking me out at https://yanderedad.tumblr.com/ :3

Despite his brother’s preachings, Jacob was not a man who believed in the power of being in-touch with his feelings, preferring raw, animalistic instinct and the certainty that came with it over anything lesser. It was what had kept him alive and relatively sane through childhood beatings, juvenile punch-outs, military hazing, desert isolation and hopeless homelessness, not the acknowledgement of his terror in the face of his drunken father, or horror when he realized what was necessary of him to survive and thrive in the face of the unconquerable demise that threatened him. **  
**

Yet since his arrival in Hope County, Montana, this philosophy of his had been challenged by an almost absurd alignment of heart and instinct, as both came to desire the same objective, a want that bordered on physical need, something so shameful he had locked it within the bottom his soul for months and refused to free it until he’d almost cracked under the pressure, a first for him. It was nothing more than a simple unwarranted comment by a new recruit regarding his secret desire that forced him to succumb to the truth, the bitter sting of acceptance dawning on him after he’d broken the recruit’s arm and forced them to continue training in such a state, so enraged by something that was so unrelated to him yet consumed whole by a need to defend what the beast within had already decided was  _his_.

Not even to his brothers would Jacob Seed, the Wolf of the Whitetails, the Soldier of Eden’s Gate, admit that Staci fucking Pratt, one of the Sheriff’s deputies, had made him weak, not physically, but emotionally, something he had never considered important until thoughts of the man began to pester him morning, noon and night, clouding his judgement.

Though rather than dispose of the source of his problems as he would those who were causing trouble for the church, leading them to their grave if they wouldn’t listen his brother John’s warning, he wanted Staci with all the heart he had left, even though his reputation for being a snarky, womanizing pain in the ass preceded him, gathering intelligence from the first locals of Hope County that had joined his unit, finding comfort in his philosophy rather than fear as a majority did, trying to shield their parents, siblings and children alike from joining his ‘ _training program_ ’.

After profiling Pratt, solely due to his position as a deputy making him a potential threat in the future should the Sheriff’s Department ever grow the balls to arrest him or his brothers, there was no love-at-first-sight as one might romanticize, only a less than mild interest in perhaps one of the most disliked men in the county, after Hurk Sr. of course, more for security sake then anything else, assigning one of his intelligence gathering teams to watch Pratt as he toyed with the idea of recruiting him as a spy.

Admittedly ignorant to his emotions, Jacob hadn’t even realized his unexplainable growing interest in Staci until he’d shown up on his doorstep, a lazy smirk stretched across his face as he slapped him with several fines for overdue gun and hunting permits, as well a couple of noise complaints from Eli, a former ally that had begun to grow suspicious, too astute for his own good.

“We might be in the middle of nowhere Mr Seed but you still gotta follow the law just like everyone else” he’d shrugged nonchalantly, chewing his gum between words, seemingly bored as though such work was bellow him.

“Ah, is that so? Y’could’ve had me fooled with the state of the police here deputy”

“We hadn’t needed much of a police force out here until your brother’s cult or whatever showed up with three-hundred strangers, a penchant for causing trouble and a complete disregard for the law - even your lawyer brother doesn’t seem to understand that you can’t trespass on private property, or bully it’s owners into selling it”

“If you’re so busy  _Peaches_ , just mail these next time so you can get back to harassing your colleagues and whatever else you do rather than work” he chuckled, a subconscious fond smile threatening to take over his usual mask of indifference at the blush that stretched from Staci’s lean neck all the way up to the tips of his ears, the nickname a play on the deputy’s love of the fruit that he ate while slacking off, and the secret friendship he’d formed with Peaches the cougar after having caught her when she escaped.

When the nature of information gathered about Pratt took a rather personal turn he hadn’t suspected, he’d taken the liberty of watching the man almost cuddle the wild cat himself. From what little he knew about real psychology rather than psychological warfare, it made sense why Staci presented such attitude to the world, bullied throughout childhood that only began to settle down once he became a man able to fight back, and a broken home that rejected him at every corner -  the two of them were alike in a way, both wearing masks of strength, physically strong with their muscle and guns yet emotionally weak due to the lot life had given them.

Maybe it was then that he had begun to grow weak for him as feelings unfamiliar to him developed, the authentic Staci Pratt that he and few others had been privy to admirable for finding strength in emotional vulnerability, something that he wished he could replicate.

With his workload increasing as the church expanded, and the growing hostility from the Sheriff’s Department, Jacob had been forced to accept there would be no opportunity to court the young deputy, unable to even deliver the fruits of his hunting he left in secret, disgusted by Pratt’s diet of frozen meals, the closest to romance a man like him was interested in.

At the very least, those hours stationed at his desk strategizing battle plans and preparing documents for Joseph had given him the chance to reflect on his infatuation, accepting a truth he’d known yet rejected even before the first night he’d dreamt of his sun kissed skin slick with sweat, almost black hair forming a halo against his pillow, his hands (that were delicate in comparison to his own) clutching his hair for dear life as he made rare use of his bed.

Alas, he had resigned himself waiting for the inevitable day Staci would join Eden’s Gate, whether of his own volition or compelling force, housing him to the Veteran’s Center where he could begin to properly pursue  _his_ Peaches, all the while shielding him from Joseph’s judgement; John’s often fatal combination of baptism, confession and atonement; and Faith’s mentally unhinging and drugged guidance down the path of the Lord.

He wouldn’t risk losing Staci, not after having waited so long, not after having even behaved for him, as not to risk the possibility of Stockholm Syndrome or any other cheap imitation of love - he wanted the real thing, to feel genuine love for the first time in his life. Joseph wouldn’t dare complain, not when he had sacrificed everything for his younger brothers, not when he was asking for just a shred of happiness after a lifetime without, having never wanted for or even needed anything before.

It seemed that he wouldn’t have to wait long, although what truly caught him off guard was not Joseph’s arrest, having known months beforehand as the arrogant Federal Marshal fought with the Sheriff’s Department to plan a grand attack on the church, but the gift he had been given when he met his brother at the crash site, assisting with capturing the Sheriff and his deputies.

_His_ Peaches, bloody and bruised albeit at least out cold, handed to him on a fucking silver platter. It was the perfect compensation for the forty-seven Christmases and birthdays that had left him empty handed.

For all his worries of maintaining his image, he refused to play coy like his brothers, haphazardly tossing the cuffs that uselessly restrained the sleeping man before easily lifting him into his arms, almost cradling Staci like a baby with a gentleness he hadn’t known he possessed. He wore his characteristic scowl, as though it were a troublesome duty rather than his only fantasy come true, rebuffing the advances of his soldiers with stern lies, though when Joseph curiously asked he saw through it, as he always did.  

“No, I’ll be taking  _personal_ responsibility for this deputy - I won’t risk losing him to the incompetence of any soldiers, mine or  _otherwise_ ” he teased John, having heard a report over the radio as he drove down from the compound that the runaway deputy had managed not only to murder a camp of his youngest brother’s personnel, but waves of them while holed up in some abandoned home, before going missing after a car chase that ended in the Henbane River with only the Marshal found.

As enjoyable as it was to wind him up, Jacob had no interest in listening to John’s excuses, instead concerned with getting his Peaches settled into his new home and patching him up before he was conscious enough to retaliate, not that it’d achieve anything - Pratt certainly couldn’t fight him in his present condition, even if he somehow managed to get his hands on a weapon, and although he was well-known for acting brattish at times, it wouldn’t be difficult to quell that behaviour with a tour of the cages.

For months he had prepared for any opportunity that would leave Staci in his care, strategizing how to compel the younger man to behave without jeopardizing the development of their relationship, his prefered tactics of sanity-breaking physical and mental torture of no use unless he became truly desperate, not that he ever would. The safest tools at his disposal, lest he wished to be left with a broken, brainwashed mess of a man, were good old fashioned chivalry and love, with just a touch of manipulation, as seemed to be common in any relationship.

Although he wasn’t familiar with neither chivalry nor love, concepts that would be of no use in the new world, his primordial instincts and the silent desires he had fought to keep concealed from even himself guided him. Sitting in the back of an SUV, shielded by a privacy screen as one of his soldiers drove them over the winding roads of the Whitetails, Jacob allowed himself to explore the man that rested in his lap, running a hand through Staci’s almost jet hair while the other examined his face, checking for injuries and admiring his features. Though the beast within howled for more, to claim and own what had been his since that first spark of interest so long ago, he refused to submit to the animalistic nature of man just yet, not while Staci was unconscious and vulnerable, not when there was nothing between them yet - perhaps he was a monster just as the local resistance saw him to be, but he was still a man with morals, even if they were skewed.

Soon enough, the dim glow of the Veteran’s Center came into view, forcing Jacob to untangle his fingers from Pratt’s soft locks of hair and resume his usual formalities, though there were few soldiers still wandering the halls, just those who worked the night shift or were hastily finishing reports for the next day.

It was only when they reached his quarters that Staci began to stir, mumbling unintelligible nonsense as his eyes rapidly moved behind his eyelids, as though he could sense the imminent danger even as he slept.

“ _Shh_ , no need to wake up yet Peaches - you need all the rest you can get after that ordeal, and I’m not in the mood to deal with you this late” Jacob chuckled as he tucked Staci into bed, letting a hand play with his hair once again, unable to resist the compulsion to, while he began to hum softly, lulling Pratt back into deep sleep, saving the hassle of explaining his situation until the next morning.

Yet again Jacob settled for another sleepless night of finishing paperwork and strategizing his next move against the Whitetail Militia, though with the odd warmth that Staci’s presence brought brought him comfort, the midnight depression that would usually take hold warded off.

* * *

“ _Oh fuck me_ …” was all Staci could groan as he began to awake, much to his chagrin, the migraine that gripped his head in a vice refusing to be ignored any longer, although the almost indescribable pain that left him paralyzed lest he were in the mood for more suffering certainly contributed. It was like nothing he had ever experienced, imagined or even heard of, head feeling as though it had been cracked open, which it could have been for all he knew, and his entire being engulfed by a variety of aches and pains that seemed far too vast for any normal injury, yet somehow he almost felt as though he were floating, disconnected from his own being like a cheesy ghost or existentially depressed teenager.

“In a week or two Peaches - can’t have you aggravating these wounds or tearing your stitches. I didn’t anticipate you’d submit so readily, but I’m not complaining - not when I know what a pain in the ass you can be.

If it weren’t for the firm hand on his chest that pinned him down, he would have leapt out of the bed, or rather rolled himself onto the floor considering the state he was in.

“ _What the hell_?” he whimpered rather than the desired effect, voice hoarse from hours of disuse and shamefully screaming as the helicopter he piloted dove back towards the Earth below, the memory of it returning to him with stupidly perfect timing as his concussed brain began to question why the infamous recluse, probable cult member and potential fugitive Jacob Seed was in his home, or as he realized glancing around the room, why he was in Jacob’s home of all places; as idiotic as it was to think in such a situation, he was honestly surprised Jacob even had a home, having always imagined him living in the wilderness like the wolves he was kin with, although the Veteran’s Center wasn’t truly a home by traditional standards. “What d-do you want from m-me?I-If you try a- _anything_ –”

“All I’m doing  _ **Peaches**_ –” Jacob growled, accentuating himself with a harsh tug to to the gash on Pratt’s side he was sewing together. “–is trying to keep you alive in spite of your weakness” he prodded the stitches, ensuring his handiwork was secure enough, earning a distressed whine from Staci, that final reminder of his captor’s absolute dominance confirming his place in Jacob Seed’s food chain. “I’ve got a spare cage out back if you’d like to be  _culled_ \- there’s plenty of friendly faces out there, although I doubt even you could recognize them, and people tend to become far less friendly when they’re competing with you for  _survival_.”

“Sorry  _Sir_ , u-understood  _Sir_ ” Staci bowed his head in submission, acknowledging he was no longer the alpha male, willing to forsake his pride if it meant survival - he’d heard far too many rumors about those cages, of the horrible noises and smells that emanated from behind the Veteran’s Center, that there were far too many just to house their so-called ‘ _dogs_ ’ that always seemed to have a taste for human, having almost been bitten by one himself once while pulling over one of Jacob’s soldiers for speeding.

“ _ **Good boy Peaches**_. I’d expected you to be more of a brat like ya usually are, but I’m not some rookie you can bully or desperate Sheriff you can manipulate” Jacob chuckled, bandaging over the wound to soak up any blood that oozed out, before pulling the oversized T-shirt he’d dressed Staci in back down over his torso, his original uniform unsalvageable with it’s tears and permanent blood stains. It drowned him, Staci far leaner than himself, not to say he wasn’t muscular in his own right, but certainly lanky compared Jacob - he’d dare say Staci even looked cute.

“Without the artificial power of your badge you’re  _ **weak**_ , you’re without purpose,  _ **you’re nothing but fresh game ready for the hunt**_ , but even I can be merciful and take pity, because I have purpose for you, a place for you,  ** _by my side_** ”

“ _W-What_?” Staci choked on nothing more than the air he was breathing, inspiring another chuckle from his captor. “W-W-Why would you….if I’m just a slave then why–”

“Are you really going to question why I’ve given you a new lease on life? All you need to know is  _ **you’re mine**_ , but if that’s too hard on your pride there’s always a spare cage, see how long you last with those wounds” Jacob raised an eyebrow, seeing if he had quashed the last of Staci’s rebellion and doubt, secretly pained by the fear that left the vulnerable man trembling but adamant that it was necessary he was cruel to be kind.

“No S-Sir, thank you Sir” Staci mumbled, his gaze focused downward at the military green sheets beneath him that seemed hardly used and baggy sweatpants that swallowed his feet, repressing his urge to fight back and trying to respect the man who held his life in his hands.

“While the obedience is appreciated  _Peaches_ , you’re not one of my soldiers - your place is by my side, so use my name” he sighed as Pratt nodded in acknowledgement, no longer shaking though still understandably afraid. Trusting Pratt to behave, though it didn’t particularly matter with the room impenetrable and inescapable, Jacob left his bedside, allowing Staci to observe his surrounds and admit utter defeat when he noticed the deadbolts on the windows, until the soldier returned, looking uncharacteristically domestic balancing a tray in his arms, the image he imagined of Jacob Seed as a doting housewife almost making him laugh.

“I’d say you haven’t eaten since dinner last night, but I have a feeling you lost it to nerves. Either way, you need’ta eat….com’on, open up  _Peaches_ ” Jacob smirked with an eyebrow raised questioningly, a spoonful of hearty broth in one hand while the other began to inch towards Pratt’s face menacingly. “Hesitance I can forgive - hell, I’d be suspicious if you weren’t - but don’t think you can play your games just because I want you alive; if you need force to learn your place then so be it.”

Without delay Pratt let his mouth fall open, Jacob’s looming hand retreating back to the bedside as he hummed pleased. As embarrassing and belittling as it was letting his captor feed him, his cheeks flushed with shame at his weakness, the meal was rather delicious, a warm, homemade casserole plentiful with more vegetables than he’d expect from Jacob and various cuts of meat he recognised from the region, and the freezers full of goods he use to recieve from a good samaritan. He wanted to believe Jacob was being uncharacteristically gentle as he rotated between spoonfuls of food and mouthfuls of water, only chuckling when either of the two would roll down his cheek before dabbing it with a handtowl, but perhaps he didn’t understand the Wolf of the Whitetails as well as he thought, or anyone thought really. His decision to spare Staci’s life alone signalled that there was far more to him than just a recluse disillusioned with the world and perhaps his own life that seemed to find not joy but perhaps  _purpose_ in protecting his brothers despite his own disbelief.

“That’s enough for now pup - don’t wanna risk it all coming back up”

Perhaps it was just the steady feaver he’d been running deluding his senses, but Staci swore he caught the tug of a genuine smile pulling at Jacob’s lips as he left to desert the empty bowl and glass in what must have been a connecting kitchen, once again giving him a chance to admire the room - rustic in style and covered in military green, framed group photos of his training squadron and battalion scattered around the walls along with the rare family portrait, the image of what must’ve been an early teenage Jacob with unkempt, wild ginger locks, a couple of disappointing hairs poking from his chin, a taut smile and unavoidable bruises that shadowed one of his ocean eyes unexplainably the mirror image yet completely different to the warm, cocky grins of his young adult self and the stoicism of the middle-aged man that stood firmly behind his brother at his beck and call.

Though then again, the Jacob that returned to him with several worn though certainly comfortable blankets in that inescapable shade of green  piled in his arms stood out the most, the bruises of his childhood faded, the scars of his service mixed with those by his own hand and the hands of heathens, no longer faking smiles to keep his brothers happy though their rarity now made them precious, a reminder that beneath the exterior carved from a lifetime of suffering he was still a man that held the ability to do good, however little it may be.

“T-Thanks but I’m warm enough–”

“You’re sick  _Peaches_ , from stress no doubt, although your injuries aren’t helping” Jacob observed nonchalantly, although his eyebrows furrowed in concern as he threw the blankets over Pratt, a glimpse at their tags confirming his suspicions that John had been the one to gift them - Jacob didn’t seem to be a blankets man considering his bed was hardly used, nor was he the sort to shop at  _Bed Bath & Beyond_.

Although overheating, Staci found comfort in the several soft layers that embraced him, his mind beginning to surrender to the rest his poor body was desperate for until he was startled by the mattress dipping and squeaking under further weight joining his own.

“Si- _Jacob_?”

“Hm?” Jacob hummed in acknowledgement, sleep seeping into his voice, the first time Staci had ever seen any evidence that he actually required such a need, having always been wide awake and alert as though he had evolved above such trivialities whenever the Sheriff had awoken him at the witching hour to investigate suspicious noises from the Veteran’s Center - he’d always thought Earl’s reasoning that Jacob seemed to respond better to him was just a convenient excuse to punish him for his latest mischief, but with Jacob’s almost affectionate behaviour as he cared for him it dawned on Pratt that there might have been something to it.

“Uh, why are–”

“‘s my bed Peaches. I can move if ya want but you’re coming with me - told ya ‘m keeping you by my side, and the extra heat’ll help” he mumbled, face half turned into the pillow, exhaustion threatening to take him for the first time since his army days after almost forty-eight hours without a moment of rest, caught between tracking the escapee Deputy, quashing the resistance, managing his prisoners, training his soldiers and caring for his own deputy.

“Maybe ‘m a monster, but ‘m not  _that_ kind of monster - I’ll give you space, but I…I just need to be here” he tried to comfort, a notion he could only remember from his childhood caring for his brothers, the reemergence of Pratt’s trembling conveying his unspoken fears. Neither he nor Staci understood exactly why he had such a need, whether it was to keep watch over his captive or monitor his health, although hidden away with other difficult truths within the depths of his soul neglected was the reality that he was but a tired old man that no longer wanted to be alone.

* * *

Somehow, they managed to settle into a routine of sorts, Jacob examining and treating Staci’s wounds before delving into his duties, mornings and afternoons spent out around the Veteran’s center, with midday and evenings dedicated to paperwork. Within his first week of captivity, Staci had begun to test and discover his boundaries much like a child would, his complaints of boredom met with Jacob delivering his personal library to his bedside, while demands he sleep on his own met with a stern warning when Jacob woke in the middle of the night to find him sleeping on the couch, the brute crushing Pratt between himself and the cushions when he laid down next to him as punishment.

“I’ve been thinking Peaches, about our conversation when you first woke up - d’you remember it?” Jacob crypticly questioned yet another week later, washing dishes as Staci dried them after another surprisingly well-crafted meal by the soldier himself.

The only reply Staci could muster, albeit he had no choice in the matter, was his sun kissed cheeks flushing, embarrassed by Jacob’s teasing though apprehensive of the suggestiveness behind it. What exactly Jacob wanted from him was still an enigma, unsure of, or rather, unwilling to consider, what he intended by having Staci ‘ _stay by his side_ ’, adamant they share his bed yet giving him space, never pushing him for anything more - he’d always assumed Jacob wouldn’t be a man that cared for consent, taking what he wanted when he wanted it, but after having been proved wrong more times then he was proud to admit within his short stay, he’d learnt there was far more to Jacob and his family than just the rumors.

“Don’t think too hard about it pup or your head might explode” Jacob chuckled, abandoning the dishes to devote his full attention to Staci. “I know you’re confused about your purpose, but I meant what I said back then - you just let me know when you’re ready Peaches and I’ll show you  _exactly_ where you belong”

Jacob’s precious threats of cages and deathmatches rung in Staci’s ears; though he knew he had the leeway to demand books or request meals for dinner, his previous resistance effort of simply wanting to sleep alone had ended with Jacob simply following him - if he refused him now, what was to say he wouldn’t take him anyway? It was an unknown, but he wasn’t willing to take that risk, not when cooperation meant he might be gentle, not when  the occasional fresh air he was allowed had given him a firsthand glimpse at the conditions of the cages - either punishment, cruel rape or torture, wasn’t appealing in the slightest.

At least, if he said yes, he still had some control.

“I-I’m all yours Jacob…I  _ **belong**_ to you a-after all” he whimpered, choking back his fear as he threw himself at his captor, melding their mouths together with little grace, submitting himself to Jacob’s desires. Jacob growled into his open mouth, his tongue following after, as his hands slid just beneath Staci’s thighs to force his legs up, wrapping them around his waist.

Somehow Jacob managed to make his way back to his bedroom even with his eyes shut in pure bliss, the likes of which he had thought unattainable by someone like himself, hands clutching at Staci’s narrow waist until he let him fall back into the sheets, his midnight hair fanned out against the unchanging military green sheets, almost exactly like Jacob’s rare dreams.

Crawling atop of him, Jacob began to card a hand through Staci’s hair, a pleased puff falling from his lips at the soft texture against the roughness, while his other fumbled with the button and zipper of his jeans, too entranced by the masterpiece beneath him to focus his full attention on undressing.

Jacob was impressive to say the least, no larger than Staci’s own but girthier, embellished with pulsating veins and framed by thick red hair, a sight Pratt might have enjoyed under different circumstances, had panicked trepidation not possessed him as Jacob carelessly threw his sweatpants away, revealing his cock, the exposure to the cool air prompting it to stand to attention.

“Don’t worry Peaches, I’ll take good care of ya” Jacob murmured earnestly, cautiously nudging Staci open with his index finger, the scars leaving it ridged in a way, steadily sliding it back and forth, eventually adding middle finger while his other hand teased Staci’s cock, circling his weeping slit and fisting the base.

Removing his fingers to admire his handiwork, Staci stretched open enough that the burn of his cock would be more pleasurable than painful, Jacob readied himself, growling again when the head of his cock slipped in, greeted by throbbing tightness. Anchoring himself with hands clutching Staci’s thighs, he prepared to sink himself into his depths, until a desperate sob broke the melody of his shallow breaths, silent tears sliding down Staci’s cheeks.

“Peaches?  _Fuck_ , okay, good effort pup but let’s call it a day” Jacob tried to comfort, freeing himself from Staci only to embrace him, cradling him to his chest like a child, just as he had done for his brothers so long ago.

“I-I’m so sorry Jacob! I know this is w-what you want from me, that t-this is my place, but I-I-I–”

“Fucking hell, I didn’t mean it like that  _Peaches_! I meant when,  _ah_ ,  _ **if**_ you ever…fuck I’m too old for this” he sighed, dragging a scarred hand down his face, while the other pet Staci’s hair. “ _ **If**_  you ever felt the same, or hell, if you just have that need, I…. _we could_ ….fuck I don’t know! Despite what you might think I’m not a complete monster; I’m not gonna force you to have sex with me, just like I’m not gonna force you to… _ **love**_  me - I don’t want that Stockholm Syndrome bullshit, I want you for real. I didn’t want it to be this way, but apparently this is the opportunity the ‘ _Lord_ ’ has given me.”

“Listen, I’ll sleep on the couch toni–”

“No!” Staci grabbed Jacob’s arm as he began to rise from bed. “You made this fucking mess, huh? So you better deal with it…because I don’t want to be alone, I can’t be alone, not after you’ve fucking  _conditioned_ me to need you by my side.”

Jacob grinned with a chuckle, falling back into bed, letting Staci tuck himself into his side.

“I was beginning to miss my little brat, but don’t think this means you can order me around in bed  _Peaches_.”

* * *

Gradually the fading warmth of autumn gave way to winter’s frost, the only acknowledgement that time continued even after his capture, spoiling the minimal fresh air and freedom Staci was allowed, forcing him to explore the horrors of the cages rather than his stroll around the perimeter of the Veteran’s Center due to the snow.

It was difficult to say the least, confronted with his captor and lover’s crimes against humanity, caught between his responsibility as a deputy, even if it meant nothing now that the cult had managed to fully expand their influence, and his adoration for the man that had given him all he had ever desired, even if it’s nature was rather dubious considering his captivity and all.

Although he’d tried to convince Jacob to redeem himself, if not at least consider a little kindness, he’d been met with a reminder of who was in charge, not in the form of aggression but bed-breaking, back-aching sex that dispelled any concerns he held for a a week or so, before the cycle would begin again.

At the very least, while he unsuccessful in charming Jacob into considering mercy, he was able to smuggle food to his less fortunate peers, from bread that had almost expired to soldier’s rations they’d forgotten, anything that wouldn’t be missed he took, cautiously distributing it to avoid suspicion, never given when they were on the edge or else their recovery would be investigated, but never given too soon after their last ‘ _official_ ’ meal or else they would seem too happy, if anyone could be happy while starving in a cage. Jacob and his soldiers were none the wiser, Staci excusing his daily rounds of the cages as nothing more than exercise, keeping his body and mind sharp so he could keep up with his lover, or try to anyway, not that the soldiers would ever question them after what happened to the first one that mistook him for a new recruit.

Staci might’ve not been a deputy anymore, but it was the closest to serving his community he could get, familiar faces, some he’d known since childhood, having been deemed as ‘ _too weak_ ’ to survive the ‘ _new world_ ’ or whatever bullshit Joseph believed.

Even though he wasn’t fond of either of Jacob’s brothers, he disliked Joseph the least, his command seemed to be the sole motivation for Jacob allowing another familiar face to continue living despite his own wishes.

Rook wasn’t just familiar - they were comforting for Staci, apparently the only hope the county had left, a true survivor against all odds, unlike himself, live on the basis of Jacob’s infatuation and his own desperate submission. For whatever divine reason, Rook was the only person capable of rallying the locals of the county against the cult, although they seemed to do far more than the hundreds of them combined, having overheard Jacob discussing John and Faith’s retreats to the compound, much to his and Joseph’s displeasure.

Though despite everything, Joseph was adamant, or perhaps even obsessed with keeping Rook alive, the infamous Deputy that was almost single-handedly destroying the cult, and the supposed harbinger of the apocalypse, much to Jacob’s displeasure, and Staci’s relief.

Because for the first time he had an opportunity to genuinely help, something more than just pitying those who were already knocking on death’s door, but giving back Hope County what was perhaps it’s only shot at survival.

He was going to free the Deputy, even if it mean losing his life and his love.

Staci wasn’t usually allowed out so late, but heavy snowfall in the morning had prevented his usual walk around the cages, and Jacob wasn’t there to stop him, busy recapturing portions of John’s territory while the menacing Deputy was at bay. Nor was he supposed to have the master key to the cages, but living with Jacob came with more advantages than great sex and surprisingly delicious food.

Managing to steal a training knife for Rook, the guns cataloged and maintenanced too often for one to ‘ _accidentally_ ’ go missing, and having found an escape via a supply truck that visited every three or so days, Staci had everything set up perfectly, at least for Rook anyway.

“You get the fuck outta here, okay? I don’t wanna ever see you in those cages again, because there isn’t gonna be another chance for me to save your ass, you understand?” Staci warned frantically, shaking Rook by their shoulders adrenaline pulsing as he waited for the alarms to ring.

“I….” Staci stilled for a moment, searching for how he could explain his situation, the unusual circumstances not even he was sure he approved of. “ _Listen Rook_ , I’ll just weigh you down and Jacob….he’ll come looking for me, I know he will, and he won’t fucking stop until you and everyone you care about is dead, even if it means disobeying Joseph. You can stop this Rook, you stop the cult and then I’ll be free, without any needless suffering.  ** _Fuck_** , okay, now’s your chance -  _good luck_!”

After watching Rook land safely on the roof of the truck, the blaring alarms muting their fall, Staci snuck back to Jacob’s quarters without alerting any suspicion, playing the role of the Herald’s innocent, wilting flower of a lover perfectly, even requesting a guard escort him in-case the escaped prisoner target him.

Admittedly, he’d been rather smug with himself, lounging by the fireplace when Jacob arrived home, a storm raging within his ocean eyes and cheeks matching his hair not only due to the chill outside.

“I hav’ta hand it to ya Peaches, you were almost flawless, but you forgot one thing - human nature, in the form of a jilted prisoner hurt you wouldn’t save him after feeding him for so long, Y’should’a at least let him have a crack at it - no matter what he’ll meet the same end, but at least he could’ve died without regrets, unlike you”

With a growl Jacob lunged forward, gripping Staci by the scruff of his neck, dragging him as he begged for mercy until they reached the same cage Rook had once called home.

“P-Please Jake–!”

“Save it Peaches! You’re gonna keep this cage warm for the Deputy until I get them back, except you won’t have a traitor on the outside to look after you” he laughed maliciously, a cruel reminder of the man he truly was outside their quarters, not the stubborn asshole Staci had come to love but a monster consumed by wrath and bloodlust.

The light pajamas he’d been wearing in anticipation of Jacob’s body heat left him vulnerable and exposed to the ravages of the winter’s night, exhaustion overcoming him as his body worked overtime to produce heat to survive, though it wasn’t enough, death guaranteed within another few hours.

* * *

Unlike the frozen concrete floor he had fallen asleep on, Staci awoke with the familiar bounce of springs beneath him, plush blankets (courtesy of John) atop of him and rugged arms around him.

“– _fucking_ sorry Peaches, I shouldn’t’ve left you out there, should’a just locked you up here where you’re safe with me, but I’m an angry old fuck that doesn’t deserve you, but I can’t fucking let you go. Thought you were gonna leave me with them, go help them because you were just playing me, because I’m weak only for you Staci. But you didn’t leave, can’t fucking believe you came back even when you could’a left” Jacob whimpered, or at least what could be considered a whimper for a man like him, rough voice uncharacteristically gentle, full of a warmth reserved for their most private moments yet a bitterness Staci had heard him berate himself with after rare failures.

“I’m weak without you, but even stronger with you, because you’re my family now, you’re the reason I cull the herd….I don’t expect you to ever  _love_ a monster like me, not after all I’ve done, even if it is for the greater good, but I  _ **love**_ you Peaches, far more than is good for me.”

Jacob sighed, burrowing his damp face between Staci’s shoulder blades, beard irritating his skin just how he liked it. 

“Y-You’re a fucking  _asshole_ Jacob Seed, and maybe it’s the frostbite, or maybe you finally broke me,  _but_ ….I love you too….even if you will be the death of me.”


End file.
